A partnership between resource efficiency specialist Ecosurety and Belmont Trading UK Limited will see the UK processing its own battery waste before the end of the year.
The arrangement to process up to 20,000 tonnes of batteries per annum would cover the UK’s entire battery waste requirements, and effectively create the UK’s first functioning battery recycling plant. It also means the UK can become self-sufficient in battery recycling as the country prepares to leave the EU.
The partnership has the potential to halt the UK’s shipment of batteries to Europe for recycling, therefore dramatically lowering the country’s waste export bill. Costs will also reduce for producers, due to the fact export rates will no longer be included on batteries.
The batteries will be recycled at Belmont’s Kilwinning site, near Glasgow. Over £300,000 worth of equipment will be installed on site by September this year to enable the sorting and shredding of batteries to commence from November 2017.
Damian Lambkin, head of innovation at Ecosurety, who helped instigate the project with Belmont Trading UK Limited, says, “This partnership means the UK could potentially stop sending batteries abroad for recycling, reducing the additional environmental impacts of shipping tens of thousands of tonnes of potentially hazardous waste across the sea to Northern Europe every year.
“It is also a big win for producers who will not have to cover the additional cost burdens of sending spent batteries overseas. This is proof that the UK waste and recycling industry can find its own innovative solutions to our waste resourcing issues through partnership working.”
Jeff Borrman, UK Managing Director at Belmont Trading UK Limited, says “This partnership dovetails with our core ethos to create ethical and responsible solutions that will make the world sustainable for future generations.
“We strongly believe that greater transparency between producers and reprocessors can revolutionise their relationships, a vision we know is 100% shared by Ecosurety, and we look forward to helping domestic battery producers extract maximum economic value with minimum environmental impact by recycling in the UK.”
